


The Fine Art of Conversation

by GabOnAShore



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, F/M, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, Mutual Pining, My failed attempt at humor, Romance, Spoilers, Valentine's Day Fluff, no TB
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-22 11:51:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22715608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabOnAShore/pseuds/GabOnAShore
Summary: You found Arthur left for dead in that mountain and took him in. For two years you've lived together as friends, until he found something peculiar on Valentine's day.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan & Reader, Arthur Morgan/Female Reader, Arthur Morgan/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 114





	The Fine Art of Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, this is my @rdrsecretcupid2020 for @the-awkward-outlaw, happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you enjoy it, I went for the first Valentine’s day route you suggested. I’ll post it on ao3 too, just in case tumblr messes it up.
> 
> Tuberculosis? Never heard of it. I also took the liberty of turning Cotorra Springs into just a warm spring, totally safe to bathe in. 
> 
> Warnings: none, except this got very cheesy

A drop of sweat was dangerously hanging off from the tip of his nose as he ran his hands through his hair. Chopping wood could be dangerous, he idly thought to himself, remembering an unusual afternoon at Clemen's Point, when Charles had told him about a man he saw split his foot in half with an axe. 

Arthur missed the warmth of those days, Clemens point had done good by them after all, until Sean ended up with a hole in the head, right in the main street of Rhodes. Hosea had failed, Dutch had failed, those meadows weren't the ones to blame, he didn't feel guilty about missing them, specially fishing in Flat Iron lake at dusk, just like Javier had told him to. Those fish enjoyed themselves at dawns and dusks, catching flies and Arthur's crickets. 

But the purple flowers that had just blossomed and the wild horses that roamed near little creek were almost part of him by now. It was his second spring in a cottage near what used to be hanging dog ranch, his second year sharing a home with you. You rescued him, found him left for dead by the man he loved as a father. With a twist ankle and four broken ribs, courtesy of Micah, he'd thought being dead would be easier as dead men with broken ribs don't need to feel the excruciating pain of breathing.

You gave him a home, a true home, with doors, windows and a roof over his head. You showed him true kindness and friendship, your presence made his ghosts go silent and this was the most precious gift he could ever have, peace. Arthur loved you, in more ways than one, but you'd given him so much he didn't feel like he was entitled to anything else, let alone your heart. He'd taken a few good years of Mary's life with his reckless love, he wouldn't risk doing the same with you. 

Making his way towards your house, he wondered when you would be back from your little hike to the nearby woods. You were a capable woman, could handle the wildlings way better than him, but nonetheless he worried about the practical dangers of loneliness. What if a bear attacked you? What if you ran into a pack of wolfs or a bunch of no good bastards? You were the one that taught him how to handle peace, but you sure were the only one right now that could take it away from him. Shaking his head as if it would make the little bugs of worry fall off his mind, he decided to make himself useful, grabbing the bags you had brought in last night from that general store at Wallace Station to cook dinner.

As he was picking up some vegetables from the bags, a catchy headline caught his attention in the news paper that was loosely rolled near the carrots, and with that, Arthur realized he didn't even now what day it was anymore. After welcoming him into your life, you'd started to buy the newspaper whenever you could, just to make sure he still belonged to the realm of the dead in the eyes of the pinkertons, but other than that you didn't give the thrilling news from west elizabeth a second look. 

Curiosity took the better of him and Arthur started searching for a date on the newspaper, raising an eyebrow when he found it.

_ February the 12th _

Assuming you'd bought it the day before, he came to the conclusion that today was February the 13th. Realizing what that meant, unwelcome memories of a certain ring and a certain woman flooded his mind. He'd given Mary that goddamned ring at Valentines day, he'd asked her to marry him then. Marrying Mary. It sounded ridiculous to his ears nowadays, maybe because you were the object of his affections now, or at least he wished you were. 

Sighing, Arthur returned to his duties, resigned to relieve himself of his troubles latter on his journal. You had bought him a new one in a trip to strawberry, ever looking out for his well being. His hands were accustomed to cooking nowadays, the sound of chopping vegetables and boiling water filling the room a familiar song to his ears. He loved to feel useful, helpful, meaningful in a very particular way. Since he couldn't love you wholly he did what he could to make you feel loved.

He took a seat at the small table in the middle of the small kitchen and started to write, pouring all his feelings onto the pages of his journal, with all his latest drawings and sketches, mostly of you brushing or horse, reading, or writing in your own journal. As immersed as he was in his own private world, Arthur almost didn't notice a steel buckle glinting under stray rays of sunset that invaded the kitchen through the open window across the room. The buckle belonged to a leather bound journal lying open on the table, and he couldn't help but notice a rock positioned on it's left side, as if to keep it open on an specific page. 

Whoever let it there, clearly wanted him to find it, and given the fact that there were quite a few miles between your house and other people, Arthur figured that you had wrote him a note. It wouldn't be the first time, you had done it before, whether to tell him you'd be gone for a few days or to warn him about cougars or wolves you spotted too near the property. 

As he removed the rock in order to read what was written beneath it, the wind invaded the kitchen, making the pots hanging on the wall clatter and fall from their spots, but even all that noiseance didn't surprise him as much as the drawing on a random page that the wind had chosen to show him. 

He could recognize himself easily enough, the details of the scars on his nose and chin didn't leave a shadow of doubt. And he also recognized you, arms wrapped around his neck, lips on his lips, your bare chest pressed against his own, just as nude as yours. All his doubts about who was the mysterious artist that made such a beautiful piece of work were crushed by a note on the bottom of the page:

_ 'I'm so happy I found him on that mountain' _

It was too much. That image had sailed through the unruly seas of his mind many, many times, but seeing it, even if just as a piece of your imagination that crawled it's way out of your head into that drawing, made it feel right, even possible. You gave him a second chance at life, he couldn't believe you would give him a second chance at love as well. But most of all, you showed him the possibility of embracing the good things that show up in his journey and making the most of them, because after all good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people as well. Fate's moral compass has been broken for so long by now that dumb luck might as well take its place once and for all. 

Sighing, Arthur made up his mind quicker than he expected. He would act on his feelings, he would do his best.

_ Whatever happens, happens _ , he thought to himself, excitement and fear fighting for his heart. Getting up from his seat, Arthur made his way to your shared bedroom, a small room with two beds, separated by a small nightstand. In the first month or so after the Roanoke incident, you had to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag so Arthur could have the bed, as he was in no shape to sleep on the ground and you had only one bed in the house. But thank God the shop keeper at Wallace Station had an old bed that he was willing to sell, since his son had moved out and the money you had offered was more than welcome.

Laying on his bed, he gave into the daydreams that were waiting for the right time to come forward.  _ Should I get her flowers? Am I supposed to take her to some fancy place? I can't really scort her through merry walks in the city like I did with Mary. Do I have to dress up? Was it really me in that drawing- _

"Arthur, I'm back" comes a familiar voice he'd been waiting all day to hear, followed by the sound of the front door closing. 

As startled as he could possibly get, Arthur tries to get on his feet after almost falling off the bed and bumping into the nightstand.

"Goddammit woman, I swear you move like a cat sometimes" he shouts from the bedroom.

"I thought your years as a big bad outlaw had given you sharper ears, cowboy" you answered, hanging your coat on the hook behind the door. The smell of his latest adventures in the kitchen greeted your nostrils and your heart got a little warmer.  _ Ever the gentleman,  _ you thought to yourself.

"That they did, but listening to your snores every night is making me go deaf." he said, leaning against the door frame of the bedroom. His hair was a bit of a mess and a smug smile adorned his features, but you could tell that something about him was different.

"You calling me a beast, pretty boy?" you said, faking chock

"I do like my women feral"  _ real smooth, you big dumb moron, next time you might try calling her bear, ladies love being compared to big and hairy wild animals. _

"Oh is that so?" you answered, your voice cracking a bit, genuinely surprised this time. You had it bad for him, hell there were some nights where you'd stare at him sleeping on the bed across the room and be almost sure that you loved him, but as always you didn't trust your heart to be the most reliable source of information. Nonetheless you wouldn't let that comment slide so easily.

"What makes you think I'm your woman  _ Mr Morgan?" _ You replied, trying to look as intimidating as you could against a 6ft tall former outlaw but smiling still.

"I do not make such assumptions, Miss" he answered, sheepishly almost. "But I-I know if you were ever to choose a man to walk beside you he would be the luckiest fella in the world"

"Oh" you said, absentmindedly placing a hand on your stomach as if feeling the butterflies that he had put there doing somersaults. You were confused, afterall Arthur managed to sound flirty and apologetic at the same time. Besides, in the two years you've shared in this house he had not once attempted to cross any boundaries, you couldn't see why he'd start now. 

"So" he started, cleaning his throat and scratching the back of his head "Shall we eat the extraordinary banquet that I cooked for us while you were away visiting your fellow beasts?" 

"And what would that banquet be if you don't mind me asking?" as much as you wanted to keep dwelling on Arthur's odd behaviour, you were hungry enough to eat those butterflies that had been partying in your stomach moments ago. 

"Well  _ princess _ , we have a delicious stew, made from the finest vegetables in West Elizabeth, with deer meat and a bit of rabbit on the side, I hope it is to your liking" he said, theatrically waving a hand towards the pot and pulling a chair for you to sit on.

"Oh Arthur, you do know how to make a woman happy don't you?" You said, smiling at him, as if thanking him for his efforts in an unique way you have developed with time. Being as self loathing as he was, you figured Arthur could easier digest compliments with a little bit of humor to wrap them with.

"Maybe" he said, chuckling. "or maybe I'm just afraid to end up as the meal if you get home hungry and there's no food."

"Well I sure would be well fed if that were the case" you replied, making your way towards the pot, feeling your sore muscles complaining with every step.

"There are worse ways to leave this world" Arthur answered, giving you a plate of stew while filling one for himself. 

Noticing the way you were dragging your legs around, he reached for a balm he had put in his pockets earlier in the day, knowing you would come home with aching legs as you usually did.

"Here" he said placing the flask on the table and taking his seat across from you "For your legs"

"God, you're a lifesaver" you half whispered, stretching your arms "I would absolutely kill for a hot bath right now"

As if something had clicked in his brain, Arthur thanked whatever god was still keeping with his life for the idea. Maybe the ideal date could be another little trip into the wild, visiting nature's giant hot bath, Cotorra Springs.

"Well we sure don't have a bath nearby but there's a beautiful bit of land with some hot springs not so far away from here that I used to wonder by every now and then, back in the day. Would you be up to a little trip tomorrow?" 

"To be honest" you groaned, allowing exhaustion to flood your senses and crossing your arms behind your head "Right now my body says no, but I sure will say yes, under one condition though"

"And what would that be?" he asks in fake exasperation, the left corner of his lips curving upwards in a grin giving it away. 

"When we get back you will have to give me one of those back rubs, because I sure will need one"

He laughed one a belly laughs you loved so much and a little piece of your heart cracked because he wasn't yours, and maybe he would never be. 

_ But I get to share my days with him anyway. _

"As my lady wishes"

********

After god knows how long on a horse back, you finally made it to the springs. The ride had given you enough time to notice a few odd spots on Arthur's demeanor today. First of all, you noticed him sneaking out of the room just before sunrise. He could be light footed when he wanted, but after so many years living on your own in the middle of nowhere, your ears were trained to wake up at the smallest disturbances in your surroundings. Then, you woke up to find him somehow cleaner, as if he had bathed in the nearby stream, which should be freezing cold, specially that early in the morning. His hair was slicked back and he was wearing his  _ fancy _ clothes, which weren't really fancy but put together did make his best outfit: a white button up shit with a black denim vest and a blue scout jacket. 

Those were the clothes you had bought him the last anniversary of your gathering. That day stood by so many events at the same time, the death of his gang, the first time you saw him and his second chance at life. Arthur liked to call it his second birthday, and it was a date you both chose to celebrate.

All in all, you briefly wondered if you had hit your head so hard that he fell right off one of your dreams. 

"Well, here we are" his voice pulled you down from your reveries while his hand gently pulled yours, helping down from your horse. You landed just a bit bit closer to him than you'd expected but it was enough to notice a peculiar yet pleasant smell.

_ Why is he wearing cologne? _

"Hey I...uh...got this for you" he said holding a flower "Went by the stream today to wash off the grim from chopping wood yesterday and found it."

"Oh" was all that managed to escape your mouth as you put together two and two and finally understood what was going on. 

_ Oh God I think this is a date. Arthur is taking me on a date.  _

Realization hit you like a freight train, you didn't know what to say, but there was no need to translate feelings into words right now. Later you would ask him why, but now your eyes were asking his a different question and his legs were answering it, bringing him closer to you, as yours did the same and all of a sudden your arms joined this odd conversation, wrapping around his neck and bringing him down for a kiss.

His lips were full, not nearly as chapped as you expected, moving with purpose, against your own, just like his hands on your back, on your waist, on your hips, everywhere, and you swore you could feel the wind embracing you, as if Arthur commanded it to caress you, covering you in a blanket of peace and mixing the smell of the forest with his own, making sure you would remember this forever. But you couldn't forget it even if you tried.

Breaking the kiss, he pulled you closer than you thought possible and you rested your head on his chest. Everything was right where it should be and you allowed yourself to close your eyes and drift off in that feeling for a little while.

"I'm sorry" he said, his voice lower and warmer than usual.

"What for?" you asked, letting go of him in order to look him in the eyes.

"I accidentally saw a drawing in your journal, it was open and I thought you had left me a note or something so-" you interrupted him by placing your index finger on his lips.

"You silly man, I left it open hoping you would be tempted enough to sneak a peek on my drawings" you said, exhaling in both relief a a hint of frustration because he still didn't seem capable to allowing himself to be happy "I've been trying to show that _this_ is what I wanted for _so_ long but you looked either oblivious or not interested so I decided to leave a few hints now and then and let fate work it out. But I'll admit the open journal just before Valentine's day was a bit desperate"

Sighing and giving in, Arthur silently asked for permission, and as you conceded he put the flower behind your ear and held your hand. 

"So, Valentine's day huh?" the way he was caressing your hand told you that there was a lot he still couldn't put into words, and so you helped him.

"Yeah, our first, if you'll have me" you whispered, closing the gap between you two once again "but either way you promised me a hot bath today cowboy, I'm still waiting for it"

"Of course I'll have you, damn it" he answered laughing and blushing "you wanna head into the springs right now?"

"Yup, that's the plan" you said, giving him a quick peck on the lips as you started to unbutton your blouse.

"Okay then, you go ahead, I'll keep watch" he said, averting his eyes and taking some distancing himself from as you undressed

"There's nobody here, Arthur, come on" you hollered, throwing your blouse on his head and running towards the pond.

Considering that tossed article of clothing enough convincing, he followed you into the water, leaving a trail of discarded clothes behind, unceremoniously jumping into the little pool and splashing water everywhere.

"You happy now,  _ miss _ ?" he asked as he pulled you close, giving a peck on the tip of your nose. 

"Oh you better call me Mrs Morgan from now on" you joked and wrapped your arms around his neck for the second time tonight, kissing your way to his mouth. You couldn't have enough of feeling him, the way his muscles flexed when he moved, his breath, his voice, his lips, but most of all this whole idea of the both of you now together surrounded by the blue water of Cotorra Springs under the afternoon sun. You wondered how long this would last, since, truth be told, he wasn't known for his good luck and you had a bitter trail of failed romances behind you.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" His voice brought you down from your the depths of your mind once more, much to your relief. 

"Shoot" you said, burying your face in the crook of his neck

"Why do you love forests so much? Don't get me wrong, I like' em too, the sound of birds singing, the wind brushing on the leaves and all that, but you must really love them"

"I can't really say why, all I know is that it feels a lot like being with you, and that's how I knew that I was right about you. So whenever your heart is confused, just ask the woods, they will answer you eventually" 

And for the first time in a while, Arthur didn't need answers.

  
  
  



End file.
